I am so loving the quiet and the space. My small town has few cars in the main drag and not many shoppers. I feel as though I can finally breathe and my overstimulated senses can relax. The sheer weight of humanity has been suffocating me for decades. And all the while I feel guilty in my pleasure because so many people are suffering terribly.
I cheer and do fist pumps when the stock market takes another dive. No need for guilt if you don't believe in superannuation and that only the rich have expendable incomes with which to buy stocks anyway.
I regularly quote my favourite line from the epic British series Years & Years: 'Tear the world down'. A lot of people would hate me if they knew this about me but I'm taking a big picture view. Something really, really had to give. I've known it would all my life but I didn't see it playing out like this. The smallest organism is bringing the entire corrupt free trade economy to its knees.
Who knew an apocalypse could be so quiet? It's fucking spectacular.
Photo: Route 66, Daniel Chrisp
I understand your thinking here. I have a bit of it myself. In terms of the stock market, a lot of us working folk have our retirement funds (401k) tied up in the market, and if you're close to retirement, a market fall this huge will devastate your plans. Plus, a market fall devastates the entire economy I have no sympathy for millionaires and billionaires -- they were not much affected in the Great Depression. But a depression is what we are headed in to, and it will wipe out ordinary, heroic, working people. I do celebrate the earth coming back to life now that human activity has been greatly reduced. Fist pump for mother earth!
ReplyDeleteI understand where you are coming from Tara. I know a lot of people have their super in shares and that this may greatly affect them. In Australia you have no choice re super because it is compulsory, so even if you don't agree with it you have to contribute. My thinking goes further into the issue of why super is even necessary. I'm not a communist but I am a socialist and believe that if pensions gave retirees a decent standard of living, which they once did in this country, there would be no need for super. There is inherent inequity in the capitalist system and I get really frustrated with my fellow Australians, and humans in general, who aren't prepared to think this through. Let's face it - you get the system you vote for but also what you turn a blind eye to. Many of my fellow Aussies have been quite prepared to ignore the inequities of negative gearing and Australia's unsustainable reliance on rises in the housing market because they want to be able to buy 1 or 2 investment properties themselves. This has led to unaffordable and unavailable rentals for those who can't even get their foot in the housing market. There is a lot of homelessness in the 'lucky country'. I'm genuinely sorry that this may have a detrimental impact on you Tara and I hope you come out of this with a comfortable retirement. There's always a huge disconnect between ideology and the practical fallout.
DeleteWe live in a time of privatizing gains and socializing loss. I don't know why things are like this, but I so wish it were different. I love seeing the earth recover a bit in such a short time. It gives me hope, once humans either disappear or utterly change their ways (ha-ha like that would ever happen), that the earth will be fine.
ReplyDeleteI always rely on Mother Nature to force change on humans. Humans behave like toddlers. I reckon Mother is dishing out a few strategic smacks on the arse right about now.
DeleteRight now the pandemic is all good for me. After years of unemployment and disability I'm already good at staying home, my daughter is home from the country, I don't have any guilt about leaving Harry home alone and the covid supplement will see me less poor than I have been for a long time. Quiet roads are good, too!
ReplyDeleteThe aftermath will be interesting, either very good or absolutely awful
Yes, I keep thinking about how things will be AV (after the virus). Most people I talk to (online) would love things to stay like this - minus the unemployment and suffering of course.
DeleteA lot of people are quietly thrilled, especially after the Easter long weekend. It feels like a massive correction to human chaos.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with you on the super. It'll grow back eventually on the back of more noxious industry (or if we choose, we can throw our super weight around to invest it somewhere sustainable). But it's also just about all some of us have to give our kids, including the attached life insurance. I don't own much at all, but my funeral and expenses will be paid for. Sounds a bit morbid but I've had to think about these things lately.
Sarah as usual I think the idea is fine - it's the ethics and motivations that are wrong. I have investigated ethical investments but it's not even possible for me to transfer my paltry uni super into a fund that is investing sustainably and ethically. As usual it's the quick fix, biggest returns and who cares about ethics and the future of the planet. The stock market rewards greed - paying dividends to shareholders takes priority and hence unethical investment choices. If people were interested in more moderate returns and investing in things that actually worked for the 'greater good' - humanity and the planet - I would be far more interested in supporting it.
Delete